Protecting device for vapor apparatus.



P. G. HEWITT.

PROTECTING DEVICE FOR VAPOR APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNEZO, 1907.

1,052,583. Patented Feb. 11, 1913.

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Original application filed January 11,'19 6 6,'Serla1 Ill 91295531, lllv ldtidafil this appliiiattonflled ifunefb; 1907. Serial Nth-379,858.

To all whom it concern:

Be it known that 1, PETER I'm, a citizen of the United States, andresident of New York, county .-0f New York,

State of New York, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Protecting Devices for Vapor Apparatus, of which the ,,following is a specification.

In gas or vapor electric'apparatus whenever conditions are present which cause a difference of potential between electrodes in the apparatus, there. is naturally a greater or smaller tendency for current topass between the said electrodes When such current passes in the proper direction between electrodes which are designed to be respectively positive and negative electrodes with relation toeachother, there is no injury done and the a paratus is adapted to operatenormally. hen, however, an elecelectrode with respect to any of theother electrodes in the apparatus, tends to become a negative it becomes important to check the flow of. current before it reaches the point of .an actual discharge causing a short-circuit which might be injurious to the electrode or to the apparatus as a whole.

I have invented means for preventing injurious short-circuiting between electrodes,

- such means consisting of chambers surrounding the several positive electrodes and so arranged that the discharge into said chambers from any other electrode shall be indirect and pass through a. ath or'paths other than in a straight line 0111 electrode to electrode. In this regard more particular attention is paid to the prevention ofshort-circuits between normal positive*elec--- rovided= ischarge' trodes, although means are also for preventing the assage of from a norngal negative electrode to a nor-' mal positive electrodev which might be equally disastrous in its results. To illustrate my invention Ih'ave'shown several arrangements such, forv example, as

that of Figure 1 which is a diagram pot a vapor electric apparatus and the circuits. connected therewith; while Figs. 2 and? are,

elevations of different other types ofvapor apparatus involving the same inventive idea: In Fig. ,1, I show an 'X-shaped vapor device, 1, having positive electrodes, 2 and 3, of iron or other suitable materialfor posippar tus]. of a current ot "suppressed In otherwords, the action 'o the ele'amiies mate "avee1eetrods,' 4 and 5, which will genera be of mercury jor such material a is a 'a tearorquse as; a

negative electrode. The eleetrodes12and3 are contained in suitable" chambers; fifandd, and these are connected as; shownby 'a tithe, 8, withwhi'ch mesa tube, 9, eonnected toj I provide for the'exhaustion' and se'aliil'gfFoiI of the apparatus. ,The ultimate takes place area 33, asindieated; 'lhesaitl e a positive electrodes "are arrahged-hefi-he e5 outer extremities of the upper arm of e X, while the negative -'ele ctrodes, 4'an'd 5,

are similarly located near the extremities of I the' lower branches of the The centralortion between the branches of *the Xmay' e of any desired length. The two negative electrodes and 5 are connected, respectively, with lead-wires, 10 and 11 which in turn extend to a common wire, 12, constituting a work or test'circuit. The electrodes 2 and 3 have lead-wires, 1'3 and 1'4, as shown; The electrode 2 is connecte'dwith one pole of a direct'currentgenerator, 15,theother pole of which is joined by a wire, 16,'- t ythe can: ductor '12. The electrode 3" is joined toone 30 pole of an alternatin current ge'nei'ator, 17,; the-other ole of which isjoined by a wire, 18, with t e conductor 12. .4 w 1 Assuming now' that th' apparatus v started say by a high potential current; so from the direct currentgenerator l 5,or,bjjj any other means, and assuming turthr that the 'said direct-current geherat'or'op-; 1 crates to maintain a current? in one direc= tion through the apparatus 1, then the tip- 90. eration of the alternating current genera tor 17 will result in. sending through'thef narrower stree tion, the waves of opposite polarity being the-direct current generator kee s downthe. normal initial resistance" at t e negative electrodes 4 and 5 while the tendency-of the current from the alternating current 'gener-.. ator 17 to pass in a direction from either of" the said'ne tive electrodes to the positive electrode 3 1s neutralizedbythe. high initial negative 'lect-rode resistance at said elec trode 3 so'longas the latter remainsja negative electrode. r a

To avoid the likelihood of the described s'hort-circuit-ing, the electrodes are placed, asshown, in tubular extensions of themain.

" body of the container 1, in such relation that there can be no straight or direct dis" charge from any one at tlie electrodes in the apparatus to 'any other electrode. Thereby the tendency to short-circuiting is greatly restricted and, except in extraordinary cases, is prevented. Figs.2 and 3 illustrate diflz'erent forms of "vapor converters in which the same principle is generally observedand embodied. The positive electrodes 22, 23 and 24. in .2 are shielded .from mutual short-circuitingby being held in extensions 25, 26 and27 respectively. In th'e'main,,the said electrodes are'also shield ed 'from direct discharges from the main,"

- negative electrode, 28, although. this is not trode 28. In Fig. 3 the strictly true in gi'egard to the positive electrode-23 as compared with the negative elecpsitive electrodes 29 and 30 are not only sliiielded from each oth'erbut from direct mutual discharges between either of said electrodes and the neg-. ative electrode 31. The electrodes 29 and 30 are mounted in extensions, 32,-33, of the main container 1 and are placed at such, an angle that no direct discharge might take .plaoe between any two oftheelectrodes.

The described arrangement of the electrodes, particularly as between the positive electrodes and the main negative electrode 1s well suited to the, purpose of a high potential va'por converter such as i often required in the arts. Where low' otential converters are desired, it may be preferable simply to pro'tect the ositive electrodes from short-circuitin wit respectto each other, although it is highly desirable in most cases to protect these electrodes also from direct discharges from-sea en negative electrode. j V 1. V

v To provide for the placing of the negative electrodes 4; and 5 in multiple with relation j to 'the'several generators, ,15 and 17, I sup- In'applieatiouSerial #295,537, filed Janply inductances, 34, 34, in the circuit between" the-,electrode'sif and 5' on opposite SldGS'gdf the conductor 12.

' rotates cation is adivision, certain claimsare made ppon other aspects of the present lnventlon.

JI claimzas my'mvenitlon:

a container of X-shape and electrodesnear .the terminals 'eachbranch of the X.

.- 2. A vapor electric apparatus comprising a container Lof X-shape and electrodes near the terminals of each branch of the X, two

generator, a direct current generator and a vapor rectifier'having' two anodes and two cathodes inclosed in an'exhausted container, thesaid cathodes being of vaporizable material, of means for passing current from the separately through the anodes the combination with a suitable source and an exhausted container, and "electrodes izableecons'tructing material, of means .for

parallel as cathodes, said means consisting the sa d electrodes.

Signed at, New York, in the county of New York,and State of New York, this 18th 'day' of JuneA, D. 1907.

PETER COOPER HEWITT. 'Witnesses WM.H. GAPEL,'

ua ry 11,"1 9 Q6,"of which the present appli:

Trros. H. Brown. v

1 A vaporelectric apparatus comprising said sources incommon to the cathodes and.

therein, a plurality of which are of vapor-' operat ng the two last named .electrodes in of .thesaid electrodes being positive eleca system of electricaldistribution, the combination with an alternating current of im edancesrespectively the leads of n so 6. In a system of electrical distribution, 

